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How To Adopt from GGLRR
We are always happy to learn of a potential home for one of our rescued Labrador Retrievers. Our volunteer Rescue Representatives work very hard to match each of our Rescued Labs with the most appropriate family in the hopes that each new home will be a happy and permanent one.
Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Rescue (GGLRR) services are limited to the San Francisco Bay Area and encompass the following telephone area codes: 408, 415, 510, 650, 707, 831 and 925. If you live outside of our service area, contact another rescue organization nearer your home. This information is provided on our Resources page.
If you are interested in adopting a Lab from GGLRR and live in one of our service areas, the following summarizes our policies and procedures.
Option 1: Pre-Approved Adopter Program |
Option 2: General Adoptions via Web List |
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With either of these options for contacting and adoting through GGLRR, here is what you can expect.
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The Rescue Representative (area code or specific Lab rep) will ask you questions about your experience with Labs and other dogs, and find out more about what you are looking for and the home you could offer a rescued Lab. They will answer questions about our Labs and GGLRR adoption practices and procedures. If all sounds like a rescued Lab would be a good match for your home, they will send you an adoption application form (we do not provide the application until after you've talked to one of our volunteer reps). | |
Our adoption fees are: $350 for adult Labs, $400 for puppies (under 6 months), and $200 discounted fees for "special needs" (blind, deaf, 3-legged, etc) Labs and senior Labs 10 yrs or older. This donation to our non-profit organization helps us cover our costs such as bailing a dog out of a shelter and necessary veterinary medical expenses such as spay/neuter, microchipping, vaccinations, worming, antibiotics for possible kennel cough and other ailments, treatment of ear infections, etc. |
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If the Lab is not already spayed/neutered, GGLRR will coordinate and fund the spay/neuter as part of the adoption process through one of our vets who discount for rescues. For puppies, the adopting family must provide a $300.00 deposit (and sign a spay/neuter contract) which is refunded when your Lab is old enough to spay/neuter (which GGLRR will still fund if done through one of our vets). |
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We generally place our Rescued Labs only in our Northern California service area. The reason for this policy is that if the adoption does not work out, we often have to drive somewhere, re-claim the Lab, and secure private kenneling facilities until such time that the Lab can go out for adoption with a new family. |
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If the match isn't successful, arrangements are made to return the dog to GGLRR. GGLRR will take back all pets that were adopted from GGLRR at any time during its lifetime. This rarely happens, since our GGLRR volunteers work closely with prospective owners to find an ideal match the first time! |
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Any Labrador Retrievers listed on our website that are under the care of another animal welfare organization or being adopted by their current owner are available for adoption subject only to the adoption policies of each agency. Prospective adopting families do not incur our donation requirement if they adopt from another organization. Please contact that agency directly. A current list of other Lab Resources, including the relevant Internet links, can be found by going directly to Resources |
GGLRR Labs by the numbers
GGLRR places about a Lab a day on average (425 in 2011, 383 in 2010, and 347 in 2009)! We often have 10-20 dogs ready to adopt on any given day, and 3-5 newly available Labs are typically sent to our pre-approved adopters each week.
Most of the Labrador Retrievers who need our assistance in finding a new home are black; males far out-number the females. We occasionally get puppies but they are placed very quickly and are often Lab mixes. Many Labs come to us when they just reach adolescence, and the current owners have been unwilling or unable to provide the requisite socialization, obedience training, and exercise that young Labs need.
Many of our Rescued Labs are between 2 and 8 years of age. We also often have some Senior Citizen Labs in need of a loving new home. Yellow and Chocolate Female Labs are the most frequently requested by potential new families. We see few of these types of Labs. If this is the type of dog you are interested in adopting, you will need to be more patient and willing to wait longer. As you can appreciate, GGLRR has no control over the next phone call and Lab that will need a new home.
Happy Endings – Stories From Adopters
We have posted a few "happy ending" stories from our adoptive families who were so thrilled with Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Rescue (GGLRR) that they took the time to write a letter for our website. Feel free to express your appreciation to the many volunteers at GGLRR helping with your Lab adoption. If you want to share your story with other prospective adopters, just send it to our web/email manager.
